Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Consumables {Desalting & Buffer Exchange Columns, Membrane-Based Consumables, Desalting Resins & Media, and Others}, and Instruments), By Application (Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing & Processing, Drug Discovery & Development, Clinical & Diagnostic Sample Preparation, and Others), By End-user (Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies, CROs & CDMOs, Clinical & Diagnostic Laboratories, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2026-2034

The global desalting and buffer exchange market size was valued at USD 1.14 billion in 2025. The market is projected to grow from USD 1.22 billion in 2026 to USD 2.22 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period.

Desalting and buffer exchange is a process of simple clean-up steps used for the movement of a protein, antibody, enzyme, or nucleic acid sample into the buffer solution before the next step. The process plays a prominent role in removing unwanted salts or small impurities for proper downstream operations. The market growth is attributed to an extensive rise in biopharma pipelines along with massive investments in research & development activities. In addition, the focus of market players on the development of technologically developed filtration systems is also estimated to accelerate market growth during the forecast period.

• For instance, in April 2021, Pall Corporation announced the expansion of its global production capacity to meet rising filtration demand.

Furthermore, many key industry players, such as Danaher Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Merck KGaA, Sartorius AG, and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., operating in the market, are focusing on developing various innovative technologies to offer better efficiency.

DESALTING AND BUFFER EXCHANGE MARKET TRENDS

Rising Preference Towards Single-Use and Simplified Downstream Processing Fuels New Major Market Trends

The market is witnessing an increasing shift of preference for single-use and simplified downstream processing across the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry. The production facilities are focusing on efficient cleaning, reduced turnaround time, and simplification of the overall process or operations. In addition, there is a rising adoption of single-use processing equipment and more plug-and-play style filtration setups.

• For instance, in September 2024, Sartorius launched Vivaflow SU, a single-use ultrafiltration system designed for downstream processing along with simplification of buffer exchange.

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MARKET DYNAMICS

MARKET DRIVERS

Substantial Rise in Manufacturing of Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Products to Boost Market Growth

There is a substantial expansion of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, which will positively impact the adoption of purification processes due to the large number of batches. Desalting and buffer exchange are a routine requirement in many workflows because the sample often needs to be in a specific buffer before the next step of operation. Further, the focus of companies to expand their production capacities is also estimated to augment global desalting and buffer exchange market growth.

• For instance, in May 2021, Lonza announced the expansion of its mammalian biologics manufacturing capacity in the U.S. The company invested USD 1.0 billion in this production expansion.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

Additional Process Leads to Extended Turnaround Time Restraining the Market Growth

An additional process of filtration, desalting, and buffer exchange leads to an extension of extra time to already long production and processing workflows. Even though they are necessary, they do not directly increase output, so they are sometimes viewed as supporting steps rather than value-adding ones. Moreover, when timelines are tight, companies try to minimize or combine such steps where possible. This can limit the adoption of these systems.

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Growing Emphasis on Outsourcing of Biopharmaceutical and Pharmaceutical Production Creates New Opportunites

Manufacturing companies are emphasizing on outsourcing of production processes in order to focus on their core competencies. In addition, many drug developers now outsource development and manufacturing to external partners to save time and reduce capital investment. CDMOs handle multiple client projects at the same time, which increases the number of purification and preparation steps performed daily. This shift in the market is projected to offer a favorable opportunity for market growth during the forecast period.

• For instance, in October 2022, Catalent announced its plan to expand its biologics analytical capabilities with a new research and development center in the U.S.

MARKET CHALLENGES

Avoiding Product Loss During Routine Processing to Pose a Critical Challenge to Market Growth

Avoiding product loss during routine processing is one of the critical challenges observed in the market. Desalting and buffer addition steps are repeated many times across development and manufacturing, and even small losses can add up when working with high-value materials. Companies try to keep recovery high while maintaining process speed and consistency. Managing this balance remains a practical concern, especially as batch sizes increase and timelines become tighter.

Segmentation Analysis

By Product Type

Increasing Number of Advanced Consumables with High Throughput Fuels the Segmental Growth

Based on the product type, the market is divided into consumables and instruments.

The consumables segment is anticipated to account for the largest global desalting and buffer exchange market share. The high segmental share is primarily attributed to its high repeat utilization across batches, development runs, and quality checks. In addition, a growing number of advanced consumables with high throughput is also projected to leverage segment growth.  

• For instance, in July 2025, Cytiva announced the launch of its new AKTA Readyflux system for small-scale manufacturing. The newly launched product is designed for the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies, viral vectors, mRNA-based therapeutics, and antibody drug conjugates.

The instrument segment is anticipated to rise with a CAGR of 6.4% over the forecast period.  

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By Application

Higher Adoption of Filtration Process in Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing & Processing to Boost Segment Growth

Based on application, the market is segmented into biopharmaceutical manufacturing & processing, drug discovery & development, clinical & diagnostic sample preparation, and others.

In 2025, the biopharmaceutical manufacturing and processing segment dominated the global market. There is a considerable requirement for purification and formulation steps in biopharma manufacturing. Samples often need to be shifted into a specific buffer before the next operation, and this happens repeatedly during processing. In addition, rising investments by market players in order to expand manufacturing capacities are also projected to accelerate segment growth.

• For instance, in November 2025, Novartis announced its plan to build a manufacturing hub in North Carolina. The company has a plan to invest USD 23 billion.

The drug discovery & development application segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period. 

By End-User

Substantial Batch Processing in Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies to Lead the Segment Growth

Based on end-user, the market is segmented into pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, CROs & CDMOs, clinical & diagnostic laboratories, and others.

The pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies dominated the global market. These companies perform higher batches of production where filtration and buffer integration are required. They also handle high-value material, so they care about repeatability and minimizing avoidable losses. In addition, compared with academic labs, these companies run higher volumes and more frequent cycles, which drives both equipment use and recurring consumables demand. Furthermore, the segment is set to hold 68.3% share in 2026.

In addition, CROs & CDMOs are projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% during the study period.

Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market Regional Outlook

By region, the market is categorized into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

North America

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North America held the dominant share in 2024, valued at USD 0.45 billion, and also maintained the leading share in 2025, with USD 0.48 billion. The market in North America is expected to increase due to extensive growth in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and substantial investments in research & development activities. These factors, coupled with robust healthcare and substantial technological advancements, are enabling market growth.

U.S Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market

Based on North America’s strong contribution and the U.S. dominance within the region, the U.S. market can be analytically approximated at around USD 0.44 billion in 2026, accounting for roughly 35.8% of global cell counting sales.

Europe

Europe is projected to record a growth rate of 7.2% in the coming years, which is the second highest among all regions, and reach a valuation of USD 0.33 billion by 2026. The region is estimated to have widespread expansion of pharmaceutical manufacturing along with substantial investments in research & development activities.

U.K Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market

The U.K. desalting and buffer exchange market in 2026 is estimated at around USD 0.05 billion, representing roughly 4.5% of global desalting and buffer exchange revenues.

Germany Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market

Germany’s desalting and buffer exchange market is projected to reach approximately USD 0.08 billion in 2026, equivalent to around 6.2% of global desalting and buffer exchange sales.

Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific is estimated to reach USD 0.28 billion in 2026 and secure the position of the third-largest region in the market. In the region, India and China are both estimated to reach USD 0.06 billion and USD 0.09 billion, respectively, in 2026.

Japan Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market

The Japan desalting and buffer exchange market in 2026 is estimated at around USD 0.05 billion, accounting for roughly 4.1% of global desalting and buffer exchange revenues.

China Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market

China’s desalting and buffer exchange market is projected to be one of the largest worldwide, with 2026 revenues estimated at around USD 0.09 billion, representing roughly 7.8% of global desalting and buffer exchange sales.

India Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market

The India desalting and buffer exchange market in 2026 is estimated at around USD 0.06 billion, accounting for roughly 5.2% of global desalting and buffer exchange revenues.

Latin America and the Middle East & Africa

The Latin America and Middle East & Africa regions are expected to witness moderate growth in this market space during the forecast period. The Latin America market is set to reach a valuation of USD 0.06 billion in 2026. In the Middle East & Africa, the GCC is set to reach a value of USD 0.01 billion in 2026.

South Africa Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market

The South Africa desalting and buffer exchange market is projected to reach around USD 0.01 billion in 2026, representing roughly 0.4% of global desalting and buffer exchange revenues.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Key Industry Players

Emphasis on Launch of Technologically Advanced Products by Key Players to Propel Market Progress

The global desalting and buffer exchange market holds a semi-consolidated market structure, constituting prominent players such as Danaher Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Merck KGaA, Sartorius AG, and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. The significant market share of these companies is due to numerous strategic activities, including collaboration among operating entities to advance research activities.

• For instance, in October 2024, Thermo Fisher Scientific showcased its expanded portfolio of biopharmaceutical services at CPHI Milan.

Other notable players in the global market include Repligen Corporation, Avantor, Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., and Takara Bio Inc. These companies are expected to prioritize new product launches and collaborations to increase their global market share during the forecast period.

LIST OF KEY DESALTING AND BUFFER EXCHANGE COMPANIES PROFILED

• Danaher Corporation (U.S.)
• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.)
• Merck KGaA (Germany)
• Sartorius AG (Germany)
• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.)
• Repligen Corporation (U.S.)
• Avantor, Inc. (U.S.)
• Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.)
• Takara Bio Inc. (Japan)
• Promega Corporation (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

• April 2025: Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the launch of its new 5L DynaDrive single-use bioreactor that enables faster process development.
• April 2024: Waters announced the introduction of GTxResolve Premier SEC Columns to support growing demand in gene-based therapeutics workflows.
• September 2024: Merck launched the Mobius ADC Reactor (single-use), reflecting continued investment in scalable downstream-friendly bioprocess setups.
• November 2023: Repligen announced the commercial launch of its TangenX SC, a holder-free, self-contained TFF device for biopharmaceutical manufacturing workflows.
• January 2021: Pall Corporation announced an investment of USD 114.0 million in order to expand its production capacity to cater to the demand in the U.S. and Europe.

REPORT COVERAGE

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Report Scope & Segmentation